An inquest into the Andover Domestic Abuser, Shaun Dyson, has determined that authorities neglected a mother of five in England, who was subjected to years of violence by her estranged husband and domestic abuser, Shaun Dyson, before he murdered her in 2023.
Lucy-Anne Rushton, 30, of Andover, Hampshire, was fatally injured in June 2019 after her estranged husband, Shaun Dyson, 28, kicked and stomped on her at her residence, as reported by the BBC.
In December 2019, Shaun Dyson admitted guilt in Winchester Crown Court for the murder of 30-year-old Lucy-Anne Rushton, according to the BBC. He received a life sentence with a minimum term of 17 years, as stated by Hampshire Police.
The inquest at Winchester Coroner’s Court investigating Lucy-Anne Rushton’s death determined that the Dorset Police and Hampshire Constabulary neglected their duties, as reported by the Andover Advertiser and a statement from Gold Jennings, representing Rushton’s family.
“Before her demise, Lucy endured an extended duration of severe domestic abuse alongside controlling and coercive conduct inflicted by Mr. Shaun Dyson,” states Jennings’ declaration.
Lucy-Anne Rushton and Shaun Dyson encountered each other in 2010. Their relationship was characterised as “abusive from the outset, marked by instances of severe violence and death threats,” according to the statement.
In Shaun Dyson’s 2019 trial, jurors learnt that Dyson compelled Lucy-Anne Rushton to ingest her wedding band following contact from an ex-boyfriend.
The jury determined that two departments neglected her, as stated in the inquest, which referenced two incidents: one in Bournemouth in 2018 and another in Hampshire in 2019.
In September 2018, witnesses at a Bournemouth hotel reported to the police that they observed Shaun Dyson assaulting Lucy-Anne Rushton, according to the statement.
“CCTV captured the assault, but officers did not check the footage or speak to witnesses,” the statement said. “An assessment conducted at the scene graded the risk to Lucy as ‘standard.'”
Jurors at the inquest heard from the officers at the scene, who said that if they had reviewed the CCTV Mr Shaun Dyson would have been arrested and that Lucy-Anne Rushton’s risk assessment would have been “medium” or “high,” according to the statement.
The second incident cited at the inquest took place in May 2019, when Rushton’s brother Luke told Hampshire police that Shaun Dyson was allegedly sexually and physically abusing his sister,
“Luke gave police copies of graphic photographs depicting this abuse,” that Shaun Dyson allegedly took and shared with others, according to the statement. “Luke told officers he was very concerned about Lucy-Anne Rushton’s safety, that she may be reluctant to speak to officers because she was ‘petrified’ her children may be removed and that Mr Shaun Dyson was controlling of his sister.”
Police initially wanted to arrest Shaun Dyson, but did not when Lucy-Anne Rushton denied her brother’s allegations about Shaun Dyson.
“Despite Lucy-Anne Rushton’s warning about her denial, her account was taken at face value and no further investigative steps at all were taken,” the statement said. “The matter was closed by police less than 24 hours after it had been reported.
“The jury heard from the officer who spoke with Lucy that she accepted that she wasn’t sufficiently experienced to visit her. DCS Fiona Bitters, Hampshire Police’s strategic lead for domestic abuse, told the inquest that her officer could have been more ‘probing’ with Lucy.”
Lucy-Anne Rushton was killed three weeks later.
Her mother, Myra Simpson, said, “Lucy was failed by professionals who could have stepped in to help,” according to the statement. “Her death has broken our family, and I miss her every day. I hope that the police and other agencies involved have learned something from our tragedy.”
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